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Post by Pete Whitehead on Oct 9, 2016 10:42:21 GMT
There are often discussions on various threads about various preferred options for local government reorganisation, with a particular stress on boundaries. Somebody a while ago suggested a dedicated thread so here it is. Personally I've long been a fan of the Unitary Authority model and would like to see this used throughout the UK. There were discussions in Hertfordshire in the 1990s about bringing in Unitaries which obviously came to nowt - the main problem being a refusal to countenance breaking up the existing districts which meant that somewhere like Hertsmere could not merged with a neighbouring borough in a way which would work for all the different areas (eg. linking with Watford made no sense to Potters Bar, linking to Welwyn Hatfield and/or St Albans made no sense to Bushey) My favoured plan at that time was a compact borough centred on Watford which would incorporate the whole of Thre Rivers and Bushey from Hertsmere - possibly to extend further to the East to include Aldenham/Radlett and possibly Elstree/Borehamwood. That's still an attractive option (not so much from a partisan perspective) but in considering Hertfordshire as a whole it leaves the question of what to do with Dacorum. It's too small to stand alone and the links with St Albans are too weak to justify a link up there. I'd therefore propose four large unitaries in Hertfordshire which would be as follows: West Hertfordshire: Watford, Three Rivers, Dacorum and Bushey (Hertsmere) - popn c. 350k. HQ in Watford Mid Hertfordshire: St Albans, Welwyn Hatfield, Hertsmere (less Bushey) - popn c. 340k. HQ in St Albans East Hertfordshire: Broxbourne, East Hertfordshire - popn c. 240k. HQ in Hertford North Hertfordshire: North Hertfordshire, Stevenage - popn c. 220k. HQ in Hitchin  With the main lines of communication running from North to South, the West Hertfordshire proposal makes a lot of sense - the West Coast mainline running through Tring, Berkhamsted, Hemel, Kings Langley and Watford and the A41 following a similar route through to Bushey. Likewise the Midland mainline runs through Harpenden, St Albans, Radlett and Elstree and with the A5 also linking most of these areas. The A1 and the East Coast mainline connect Welwyn and Hatfield to the parts of Hertsmere which are in Mid Herts and here there are good East-West communications in the form of the M25 and A414 which link St Albans to Hatfield and beyond. East Hertfordshire and North Hertfordshire speak for themselves - again there are major road arteries which tie most of the areas together (A10 and A1 respectively) There is some scope for further variation from existing borough boundaries. There is a case for some of the parishes closest to Stevenage (Datchworth, Aston, Walkern etc) to be included in North Herts. There is a case for Northaw-Cuffley (with rail links to Hertford and somewhat closer road links to Cheshunt than to Hatfield) to be included in East Herts. And there is a case for the parishes of Flamstead and Markyate in Dacorum to be included in Mid Herts as they sit on the A5 and have closer links to Redbourn and Harpenden to Hemel (let alone the Watford/Three Rivers area) (on the other hand there is a good case that the West Herts authority covers everything basically West of the M1) Obviously these kind of variations can be decided by local consultations and/or plebiscites. There may be other suggestions put forward eg. perhaps Buntingford would prefer to be in North Herts, on the other hand Royston and surrounding parishes may prefer to go in with the A10 oriented East Herts (obviously these two suggestions would be mutually exclusive - they're just examples) |
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Post by greenhert on Oct 9, 2016 11:42:12 GMT
I think these unitary authorities will work well for Hertfordshire. Here are suggestions for unitary authorities elsewhere:
Nottinghamshire (since Beeston, Kimberley, Hucknall, West Bridgford, Carlton etc. are considered suburbs of the Greater Nottingham area by many): an expanded Nottingham UA (comprising Nottingham UA, Broxtowe BC, the town of Hucknall within Ashfield BC, the vast majority of Gedling DC, the town of West Bridgford and the villages of Gamston and Ruddington within Rushcliffe DC, and the town of Long Eaton of Erewash DC in Derbyshire).
This leaves: East Nottinghamshire UA (comprising Newark & Sherwood DC and what is left of Gedling DC and Rushcliffe DC), Bassetlaw UA (coterminous with Bassetlaw DC), and an Ashfield & Mansfield UA (Ashfield BC minus Hucknall plus Mansfield BC).
Leicestershire: An expanded UA which absorbs the entire district of Oadby & Wigston and the towns of Glenfield and Braunstone within Blaby DC.
Berkshire: Expand Reading UA to formally absorb the towns of Woodley, Shinfield and Earley within Wokingham UA, and the villages of Calcot, Purley on Thames and Theale within West Berkshire UA.
Hampshire: Merge Eastleigh and Southampton into one combined Eastleigh & Southampton UA, and Fareham, Gosport, Havant, and Portsmouth into a Solent UA.
Gloucestershire: Expand Bristol UA to absorb all of South Gloucestershire UA except for the towns of Thornbury and Yate and the surrounding villages of those two towns (basically, incorporate Filton and Kingswood into the city of Bristol). Move Thornbury and Yate back into Gloucestershire CC's remit.
Staffordshire: Merge Stoke-on-Trent UA with Newcastle-under-Lyme BC (the line between them is increasingly blurred, for a start).
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Post by greatkingrat on Oct 9, 2016 12:17:36 GMT
Berkshire: Expand Reading UA to formally absorb the towns of Woodley, Shinfield and Earley within Wokingham UA, and the villages of Calcot, Purley on Thames and Theale within West Berkshire UA. I think that would leave rump Wokingham too small. Perhaps include Wokingham itself with Bracknell while Twyford can go with Maidenhead? |
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Post by Adam in Stroud on Oct 9, 2016 12:23:58 GMT
Gloucestershire: Expand Bristol UA to absorb all of South Gloucestershire UA except for the towns of Thornbury and Yate and the surrounding villages of those two towns (basically, incorporate Filton and Kingswood into the city of Bristol). Move Thornbury and Yate back into Gloucestershire CC's remit. I'd welcome that. Assuming Gloucs remained two-tier, you could then create a district council much along the lines of the proposed constituency of Dursley, Thornbury and Yate in the Severn Vale which I think might work better than having Dursley and Berkeley in Stroud District. |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 9, 2016 12:25:21 GMT
I favour regional governments for example you could have one for Wessex (everything south of the Thames bar London), one for Mercia, one for East Anglia and one for Northumbria. Simple and with real historical roots.
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Post by mattb on Oct 9, 2016 13:57:43 GMT
West Hertfordshire: Watford, Three Rivers, Dacorum and Bushey (Hertsmere) - popn c. 350k. HQ in Watford Mid Hertfordshire: St Albans, Welwyn Hatfield, Hertsmere (less Bushey) - popn c. 340k. HQ in St Albans East Hertfordshire: Broxbourne, East Hertfordshire - popn c. 240k. HQ in Hertford North Hertfordshire: - popn c. 220k. HQ in Hitchin
If you're going to have unitaries in Herts, I would have thought two would make far more sense: Hertfordshire: North Hertfordshire, Stevenage, Broxbourne, East Hertfordshire, Welwyn Hatfield, Potters Bar St Albans-shire: Watford, Three Rivers, Dacorum, St Albans, Hertsmere (without Potters Bar)
Then all your examples of potentially disputed/unnatural boundaries are automatically resolved. The western council has the A41/M1/west coast/London midland corridors; and the eastern has the A1/A10/east coast/west Anglia corridors.
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Post by Pete Whitehead on Oct 9, 2016 14:19:08 GMT
Yes that's a perfectly plausible and acceptable option if one is going for larger unitaries. My own preference is for slightly smaller around the size of those I introduced here, which is similar to the typical population in London and Metropolitan boroughs, but I'd have no great objection if the situation you describe came to pass. It would certainly be an improvement on the current two tier system. I think I suggested something exactly on these lines on one of the earlier discussions (with Greenhert) which gave rise to me starting this thread
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cibwr
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Post by cibwr on Oct 9, 2016 15:42:46 GMT
Well my own views are well known, basically I'd go for a two tier structure in Wales, 3 regions based on Swansea, Cardiff and Newport, and two rural ones based on mid and west Wales, one for North Wales. Below them I'd have around 25 - 30 district councils and below them maybe 300 or so community councils.
The regions would also take over the health authorities, fire, police and ambulance, run social services, education, waste disposal, transport, structural planning, and economic development. District councils to look after housing, licensing, leisure, culture, town and country planning (within the regional structural plans) consumer protection and other functions unless carried out by community councils. Community councils will run allotments, cemeteries, war memorials, public conveniences, maintain public footpaths, open spaces, parks and such community facilities that are appropriate to their communities plus grant aid local organisations. All would be elected by STV in multi member divisions.
Coupled with reorganisation of boundaries we need a reorganisation of finances. I'd hand the first 5p in the pound of both income tax and VAT, split 70% region, 25% district and 5% community. Plus revenue from licenses, commercial ventures, rent and a property tax. Also a replacement for business rates based on turn over and split the same way as income tax and VAT. In addition equalisation payment from the Welsh government based on need.
England should adopt it own local government structure, but it needs regional government, on the pattern of the 1998 Government of Wales Act. Id use the European regions as a starting point but split the South Eastern one, and of course recognise the unique position of Cornwall - which would get its own much more powerful regional assembly modeled on the current Scotland Act.
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Post by Pete Whitehead on Oct 9, 2016 15:47:58 GMT
You ruined it with the nonsense in the last sentence
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Post by gwynthegriff on Oct 9, 2016 16:25:33 GMT
Staffordshire: Merge Stoke-on-Trent UA with Newcastle-under-Lyme BC (the line between them is increasingly blurred, for a start). Flaming torches and pitchforks have sold out across rural North Staffordshire.  |
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jamie
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Post by jamie on Oct 9, 2016 17:41:25 GMT
North East
All unitary authorities and major changes to council boundaries. All single member wards with eligibility to stand based on ward(s) rather than for whole council area. Council tax and business rates replaced by Land Value Tax which has 3 bands; .'personal allowance' style rate for home property, low rate for agriculture and then the main band. Exact Tax rate for latter 2 are determined locally.
Summary - Northumberland county council split between rural and urban unitary authorities, Newcastle council expanding east, Gateshead council taking in outlying villages from Durham/Northumberland, Sunderland council made smaller, Middlesbrough becomes 'non-rural south of Tees' council and most importantly the massive (population and geographical size) Durham County council is broken up.
Councils (figures for electorate):
Northumberland - Berwick, Amble, Ponteland, Hexham - 95k * **
Wansbeck and Blyth - Morpeth, Cramlington, Blyth, Bedlington and Ashington - 120k *
Newcastle Upon Tyne - Newcastle, Wallsend and Forest Hall area - 235k
North Tyneside - Tynemouth, Whitley Bay, North Shields and Battle Hill - 100k
Gateshead and Blaydon - Gateshead, Blaydon and Prudhoe - 150k ** *** ****
South Shields - No Change - 115k
Sunderland - Sunderland, Houghton and Lumley - 170k
North Durham - Washington, Consett, Chester-le-Street and Stanley - 135k *** ****
East Durham - Seaham and Peterlee - 75k
Mid Durham - Durham - 70k *****
West Durham - Barnard Castle, Bishop Auckland and Spennymoor - 95k *****
South Durham - Darlington, Aycliffe, Ferryhill and Sedgefield - 115k
Stockton - Stockton and Billingham - 100k
Middlesbrough - Middlesbrough, Thornaby, Yarm and Eston - 160k
Redcar and Cleveland - Redcar and Saltburn - 75k
* Split wards north of Morpeth and Ashington.
** Split wards with Heddon and Wylam in Gateshead.
*** Split ward with Burnopfield in Gateshead.
**** Split ward with everything north of Angel of the North in Gateshead.
***** Split wards with western rural areas in West Durham.
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J.G.Harston
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Post by J.G.Harston on Oct 9, 2016 17:45:19 GMT
yes, we will disregard that last sentence, it spoils a good post. Indeed it saves me writing an inferior one. You can recognise the unique position of Cornwall by making it a unitary authority, not by putting it on the same footing as Scotland. |
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peterl
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Post by peterl on Oct 9, 2016 17:57:50 GMT
I am not a fan of the unitary authority model. It makes a lot of sense to run strategic services like highways at a county level while maintaining local control on things like planning decisions more locally. I suppose that doesn't necessarily mean maintaining district councils, you could establish directly elected planning boards, but the two-tier model does provide a convenient way of keeping local services local while still allowing strategic decision making for a larger area in some areas. My suggested reforms? No unitary authorities except for large cities and islands. Especially no whole county or geographically large unitaries. No combined authorities. Cap of no more than two thirds of the seats on any council being held by any one party - one party states are always badly run. Local citizen initiated referenda. No more elected mayors unless following a referendum requested on petition.
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J.G.Harston
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Post by J.G.Harston on Oct 9, 2016 18:26:07 GMT
Staffordshire: Merge Stoke-on-Trent UA with Newcastle-under-Lyme BC (the line between them is increasingly blurred, for a start). More-or-less what I've got scribbled in my UK road atlas?  |
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J.G.Harston
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Post by J.G.Harston on Oct 9, 2016 18:36:44 GMT
... but the two-tier model does provide a convenient way of keeping local services local while still allowing strategic decision making for a larger area in some areas. My suggested reforms? No unitary authorities except for large cities and islands. ... Unitaries make sense for large consistant urban areas - broadly speaking, most of the old county boroughs - two-tier makes sense for rural/scattered areas. |
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myth11
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Post by myth11 on Oct 9, 2016 18:38:25 GMT
I think these unitary authorities will work well for Hertfordshire. Here are suggestions for unitary authorities elsewhere: Nottinghamshire (since Beeston, Kimberley, Hucknall, West Bridgford, Carlton etc. are considered suburbs of the Greater Nottingham area by many): an expanded Nottingham UA (comprising Nottingham UA, Broxtowe BC, the town of Hucknall within Ashfield BC, the vast majority of Gedling DC, the town of West Bridgford and the villages of Gamston and Ruddington within Rushcliffe DC, and the town of Long Eaton of Erewash DC in Derbyshire). This leaves: East Nottinghamshire UA (comprising Newark & Sherwood DC and what is left of Gedling DC and Rushcliffe DC), Bassetlaw UA (coterminous with Bassetlaw DC), and an Ashfield & Mansfield UA (Ashfield BC minus Hucknall plus Mansfield BC). Leicestershire: An expanded UA which absorbs the entire district of Oadby & Wigston and the towns of Glenfield and Braunstone within Blaby DC. Berkshire: Expand Reading UA to formally absorb the towns of Woodley, Shinfield and Earley within Wokingham UA, and the villages of Calcot, Purley on Thames and Theale within West Berkshire UA. Hampshire: Merge Eastleigh and Southampton into one combined Eastleigh & Southampton UA, and Fareham, Gosport, Havant, and Portsmouth into a Solent UA. Gloucestershire: Expand Bristol UA to absorb all of South Gloucestershire UA except for the towns of Thornbury and Yate and the surrounding villages of those two towns (basically, incorporate Filton and Kingswood into the city of Bristol). Move Thornbury and Yate back into Gloucestershire CC's remit. Staffordshire: Merge Stoke-on-Trent UA with Newcastle-under-Lyme BC (the line between them is increasingly blurred, for a start). i would move ex coal fields of Bassetlaw and Newark&sherwood in to the Ashfield UA with the remaining rural parts plus retford joining the east notts UA. |
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Post by casualobserver on Oct 9, 2016 18:40:22 GMT
Staffordshire: Merge Stoke-on-Trent UA with Newcastle-under-Lyme BC (the line between them is increasingly blurred, for a start). More-or-less what I've got scribbled in my UK road atlas? More. (slightly) |
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J.G.Harston
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Post by J.G.Harston on Oct 9, 2016 18:43:44 GMT
On a roll, I'll post my other scribbles. Nottingham:  |
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Post by J.G.Harston on Oct 9, 2016 18:44:18 GMT
Leicester:  |
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J.G.Harston
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Post by J.G.Harston on Oct 9, 2016 18:44:44 GMT
Liverpool:  |
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